Fabricated metal structure



3o, 1940. w, w SMITH 2,188,448 l FABRICATED METAL STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1938 ffl/' 11 i011. [Ja/lace [d .ffy/til,

Jan. 30, 1940. l w, w sMn-H 2,188,448'- FABRICATED METAL STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 1e, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 30, 1940 FABRICATED METAL STRUCTURE Wallace W. smith, chicago, 111., assigner to Inland Steel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware f.

pplication December 16, 1'9'38s Serial No. 246,224

Claims. (CL (i1- 45) My invention relates' to fabricatedmetal panels and to such panels in combination with otherv elements forming fabricated structures, such as, for

example, retaining wall structures for use in easily constructed; to provide a panel which will possess greater strength perpound of metal used than structures of this kind as hitherto produced; and to provide a panel which will lend itself for advantageous use more particularly in retaining wall structures for underground. tunnels;

Other objects are to provide a retaining wall structure particularly for underground tunnels and formed of supporting flanged ribs formed into arches, and panel sections therebetween, which will present greater strength per pound of metal used than in the case of, structures as hitherto provided and withoutV increase in.cost;.to provide such a structurewhereby less labor and fewer fastening means will be required in its production than hitherto required; tol produce such a structure wherein the panels may be more accuratelyvpositioned relative ,tothe ribs; and other objects as will be rnanifestirom the following description.

Referringto the accompanying drawings 2.

Figure l isa cross sectional. view of a reinforced vconcrete underground 'tunnel undergoing. ccnstruction. l

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the same, the sectionr being taken at the line 2-.2 on Fig. l and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at the line 3-3 on Fig. 2v and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional' View like Fig. 3, but taken at one of the upstanding side walls of the structure.

Figure 5 is a view in end elevation of one of the panel-forming elements of the wall structure; and

' Figure 6, a face view of the panel, being viewed from its underside.

, Referring to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, vthe practice, in forming underground tunnels is to install, as the tunneling work proceeds, arches extending crosswise of the tunnel and spaced apart and applying to the spaces between the arches, panels commonly oi sheet metal which are secured thereto and, with the arches, forni a retaining wall which, under usual conditions, is subjected, by the surrounding earth,

the same tov inwardly directed forces of great magnitude, whichV must be resisted to prevent undue distortionn or collapse off` such wall.

These structures'a'lsocomprise, as commonly provided, a wall of concrete applied to the inner 5 surface 4ofth'e retaining' wall structure and generally conforming in sha-pe thereto.

I haveillustrated my invention in connection with such aV structure, the drawings showing at l two o the adjacent spaced apart arches referred to. These arches' are in the form of flanged structural ribs shown as I-beams having inner flanges 8 and outer fianges 9, each arch, which is shown as having lower upright side wall` portions ifiiand an upper curved portion i i, being shown as formed of end-to-end disposed rib sec?` tions connected together as by splice plates represented at i2".

In 4practice the earth would be tunneled out to suclrcontour as to receive the outer flanged por# tions 9 of` the arches, as shown at i3, the earth; being shown at It. Y

Filling the spaces between adjacent arches l' to complete the wall structure and conforming to the contour of the arches, are panels l5 ern if; bodyirlgv my invention, the space between each adjacent ones of the ribs l being filled by a plurality of' the panels i5 disposed end to end.

' Each of` the panels it, shown as oi rectangular shape, comprises a sheet-lile body portionl i5 of sheet metal" having projecting portions l'l'at opposite edges thereof extending throughout the length of theseedges, and at its ends,l and at intervals between its ends, parallel projecting portions ifik extending crosswise o1 the portions il' and filling the space'therebetween, all of these projecting portions projecting generally in the same direction from the body portion i.

The projectingV portions ll are formed prefer ably oi the sheet of metal from which the body 40, portion it' is formedby flanging over opposite edges off the sheet.' The vprojecting, portions it as, shown, and preferably, are formed of separate bars of relatively'thin metal set on edge and secured. in place as hereinafter described, 'the pro jecting portionsQor bars it, which preferably are of equal depth, being or. a greater depth than the projecting. portions li.

The projecting portions i8 are shown as welded inplace to the` projections .il at the junctions between these parts, as represented at i9 and also d at spaced' apart intervals to the body portion i8 as represented at 2D.

The terminal ones of the projecting portions I 8 are provided with bolt holes 2l and the projecting portions l1 with bolt holes 22, the holes 2| and 22 being similarly located in all of the panels.

The panels I5 are applied to the arches 'I in a position in which the panels extend between the web portions 23 of adjacent arches 'l and rest at the ends of their projecting portions i 8 on the outer faces of the adjacent inner flanges 8 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In this position they are bolted in place by bolts 24 which extend through the holes 22 in the projecting portions I 'I and preformed properly positioned holes 25 in the adjacent webs 23 of the arches. For a panel substantially 30 inches long two bolts 24 for each projecting portion I 'I will suice. The adjacent ends of the panels I5 are bolted together by bolts represented at 25 which extend through theregistering openings 2l in the projecting portions I8.

As is customary, the space between the earth and the wall formed of the arches and panels described, is filled with grout as represented at 21 and the wall of concrete the form the main wall of the tunnel and the inner surface of which is represented by the dotted line 28 in Fig. 1, is formed against the metal retaining wall referred to.

It is desirable to provide against the pocketing of air in the interior angles between the bodies IG of the panels and the projecting portions thereon above referred to, in the application of the concrete to the panels. This may be effected by providing any suitable air vents for such interior angles, this being eifected in the particular construction shown by cutting oif those corners of all of the bars I8 which are located adjacent the body portion I6, as represented at I8a of the bars I8 shown in Fig. 2.

As will be understood, a panel as disclosed presents tremendous resistance to deformation to loads imposed against it at an angle to its face, the projecting portions I8 serving as edgewise disposed beam-like members having flanges formed by the adjacent portions of the body portion I6 and thus imparting great strength to the structure in resisting loads as above referred to, the load, in the case of the particular arrangement of arches and panels shown and described, being transmitted through the ends of the projecting portions I8 to the flanges 8 of the arches. The bolts 24 which secure the panels to the arches, are thus relieved of shearing stresses and therefore only such number of the bolts as will secure the panels to the arches, and which is a minimum, need be used, with consequent great savings in materials and labor for installation.

The feature of the panels resting at their portions I8 on the flanges 8 serves to properly position the panels relative to the flanges 8, avoiding the necessity for manual labor or other supporting structure, for holding the panels in place while applying the bolts. Furthermore, the positioning of the panels as stated on the flanges 8 renders the matching of the holes in the panels with theholes in the webs for receiving the bolts 24, an easy operation, as it involves merely the placing of the panels upon the flanges 8 and then sliding them therealong to match up these holes.

Another advantage arising from the construction shown is that the faces of the panels may be positioned exactly on the concrete line determined by the design of the particular tunnel being built. As will be understood, the ends of the projecting portions I8 may be reduced in depth, as for example by notching, if and'when it is desired, to position the faces of the panels closer to the flanges of the arches.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction of panel embodying my invention and have shown my improved panel as forming an element of a fabricated metal structure of a particular kind, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit my invention to the particular panel disclosed nor to its use as an element in the particular fabricated metal structure shown, as the panel shown may be variously modified and altered and provided in other forms and, furthermore, may be combined with other elements to form fabricated metal structures of other characters and for other uses than those set forth, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In combination, a series of flanged ribs spaced apart, and a panel between said ribs comprising a body of metal having portions extending angularly thereto along opposite edges of said body and also portions extending between, and in a direction crosswise of, said rst-referred-to portions and angularly to said body, and secured to said body, said panel seating at certain of said portions on flanges of said ribs.

2. In combination, a series of flanged ribs spaced apart and a panel between said ribs comprising a body of metal having flanges at opposite edges thereof and spaced bars located between, and extending in a direction crosswise of, said flanges and secured to said flanged body, said bars being deeper than said flanges and said panel seating at said bars on flanges of said ribs.

3. In combination, a series of flanged ribs spaced apart, and a panel between said ribs comprising a body of metal having portions extending angularly thereto along the surrounding edges of said body and portions extending angularly to said body and between certain of the opposed ones of said rst-referred-to portions and in a direction crosswise of said first-referred-to portions, said panel seating at certain of said portions on flanges of said ribs.

4. In combination, a series of flanged ribs spaced apart and a plurality of panels disposed edge-to-edge and located between said ribs, each of said panels comprising a body of metal having portions extending angularly thereto along opposite edges of said body and also portions extending between, and in a direction crosswise of, said first-referred-to portions and angularly to said body and secured to said body, said panels seating at certain of said portions on flanges of said ribs, and means engaging adjacent portions of said panels for securing them together.

5. In combination, a series of anged ribs spaced apart and a plurality of panels disposed edge-to-edge and located between said ribs, each of said panels comprising a body of metal having portions extending angularly thereto along the surrounding edges of said body and portions extending angularly to said body and between, and in a direction crosswise of, certain of the opposed ones of said rst-referred-to portions and secured to said body, said panels seating at certain of said portions on flanges of said ribs, and means engaging the adjacent ones of said portions of said bodies for fastening together adjacent panels.

WALLACE W. SMITH. 

